The short answer
Usually not. DStv designed the Smart LNB for single dwellings with their own dish, and its own FAQ says it isn’t suitable for multiple-unit dwellings such as complexes and apartments. If you live in one, your building may already have a communal system, and your options depend on your body corporate. Ask before you buy or book anything.
DStv separates installations into two types. A single dwelling is a freestanding home with its own dish. A multiple-unit dwelling is a building where several homes share infrastructure, such as a sectional-title complex or an apartment block.
The difference decides which equipment is allowed, who controls the roof, and who you need permission from. Many people only learn this after they have already bought a decoder.
| Single dwelling (house with its own dish) | Multiple-unit dwelling (complex or apartments) | |
|---|---|---|
| The dish | Yours | Usually shared or communal |
| Smart LNB | Recommended by DStv for Explora and most Extra View setups | Not suitable, according to DStv |
| Who approves changes | You (plus the homeowners’ association in an estate) | The body corporate, managing agent or landlord |
| Typical solution | Your own dish with a Smart LNB | A communal distribution system |
| Extra View | Often possible | Depends on what the building supports |
A Smart LNB combines the job of a multiswitch into one UniCable LNB on your own dish, so a small number of your decoders can share a single cable. DStv describes it as a solution for non-commercial installations where you use your own satellite dish.
A complex works differently. One shared system feeds many homes, so it needs equipment built for distribution rather than a household LNB. Putting a Smart LNB on a shared system is the wrong tool for the job.
Our guide to choosing an installer covers the checks in more detail.
A freestanding house inside an estate can still be bound by the estate’s design rules, such as the dish colour and where it may sit. Check with the homeowners’ association first.
If you rent, get your landlord’s written consent. Ask about removable mounts, and agree in writing who restores the wall or roof when you leave. If you are moving, see our DStv relocation service.
See also: the satellite glossary · Explora vs Explora Ultra.
It depends on the building’s distribution and on whether a private dish is allowed. We check what your building has before we quote. See our Extra View installations.
Not necessarily. Some buildings suit other decoders. Check what your building’s system supports first.
Only if your rules allow it and the dish has a clear view of the sky. Get approval in writing first.
Ask what the communal option is. If there isn’t one, streaming is the fallback.
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